PVL: Phillips, Sabete fuel late Petro Gazz rally to draws first blood vs. Creamline

MJ Phillips and Jonah Sabete came alive when it mattered most to steer Petro Gazz to a gritty 25-17, 25-20, 18-25, 20-25, 15-10 win against Creamline in Game 1 of PVL All-Filipino Conference finals on Tuesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Middle blocker Phillips scored six points in the crucial fifth set while Sabete supplied the help as the Angels moved a win away from winning their third overall crown and dethroning the defending champions Cool Smashers.

Phillips was personally responsible for the Angels' 3-1 start in the deciding frame before she unleashed a power quick kill off a tough one-handed set by Chie Saet to bring Petro Gazz to a 7-4 lead.

She then punished a careless overpass from Creamline while Sabete denied Tots Carlos on the opposite side to stretch their lead to 10-4.

The Cool Smashers tried to roar back with Michele Gumabao hitting one from the right side and Bea de Leon rejecting a Brooke Van Sickle attack to cut the deficit to three, 10-13.

But two costly missteps from Bernadeth Pons had Petro Gazz cruising to the victory after the veteran spiker went wide on her attack and got her second spike denied by Aiza Maizo-Pontillas.

Petro Gazz, which swept the semifinals with a 3-0 card, will look to clinch the title on Thursday. If the Angels got the job done, they will capture their first title since the 2022 Reinforced Conference.

—JMB, GMA Integrated News